Elders' Assistance

Elders’ Assistance aims to mitigate some of the difficult socio-economic conditions faced by elders. This assistance is considered to compensate for a portion of the costs for basic consumer goods and costs related to traditional subsistence harvesting activities. Elders generally have low personal incomes and their government social security benefits are not adapted to the region’s high cost of living. This assistance is considered to compensate for a portion of the costs for basic consumer goods and costs related to traditional subsistence harvesting activities

Payments of $875 are made every year on January 15 to eligible elders who were aged 60 or older as of January 1 and on July 15 to eligible elders who were aged 60 or older as of July 1.

Eligibility for Elders’ Assistance is restricted to individuals who are aged 60 or older, are beneficiaries of the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement, and have been residents of Nunavik for at least one year. The list of eligible elders is drawn up from a database maintained by the local employment officers of the KRG Sustainable Employment Department. The northern villages help with the delivery of the assistance, including confirmation of residency.